Across Australia tertiary providers opened their doors to more students in 2014, with a 4.5 per cent jump in enrolments since 2013. Last year saw 839 more students at UOW – up 2.75 per cent.

Domestic students accounted for 58 per cent of those enrolled, the rest were overseas students, either studying abroad or on campus.

More than three-quarters of students were enrolled in bachelor degrees, while the most popular field of study was management and commerce.

Agriculture, environment and related studies was least liked, with 108 enrolled.

This was reflected nationally with those subjects dropping 5.8 per cent.

Demographics show a fairly even split between males and females in 2014, on par from the previous year.

Full-time studies accounted for  76.8 per cent in 2014, while internal was the preferred method of education at 96.6 per cent.

On the downside, drop-out rates from a bachelor course were found to rise, and subject completion rates were on the decline.

In 2013, 14.91 per cent of those enrolled in a bachelor degree at UOW did not complete nor return to studies, compared to 10.54 per cent in 2008.

This data was still better than the state average which saw 17.93 per cent attrition in 2013 and 14.86 per cent in 2008.

‘‘Universities are increasingly accessible to a range of students and we want to continue to build opportunities for people from all backgrounds to be able to get the highest quality education,’’ Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne said.

Mr Pyne said he was delighted 17.5 per cent of students nationally were from low socio-economic backgrounds – up from 17.3 in 2013, and the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments increased by 9.7 per cent from 2013.